Market life: fear and frustration in Gaza

On Sunday, July 20 the Gaza Strip suffered its highest death toll since Israel’s offensive began.

A day later euronews visited the Abu Alaa market, north of Gaza City.

Local residents spoke of their outrage over the scores of civilian deaths.

“There are men, women and children killed, many bodies in the street. How much more of this? This is the worse case in history. There is no country in this world living as we live. The economic situation is less than zero. Our lives are less than zero,” one market-goer told euronews.

Another stressed that foreign countries should be doing more to help, saying: “Our children don’t know about playing or toys. They know about planes, rockets, about men killed by bombs. Look at our life, how we live. I ask foreign countries to look at us in mercy and deal with us at least as well as they treat animals who live in their countries!”

Amid the fear and frustration, there were hopes for an end to the violence.

“I wish that the resistances’ [Hamas’] conditions would be met and that there could be a ceasefire soon,” one market-goer told euronews.

Euronews correspondent Valerie Gauriat reported from Abu Alaa: “The rockets bound for Israel barely affect the hustle and bustle of this busy Gaza market. But people tell us that everyday life has been severely disrupted for a long time. Many believe that only weapons can change their fate, something international diplomacy has so far failed to do.”